Steering apparatuses include a center take-off type steering apparatus. According to known center take-off type steering apparatuses, a pair of tie rods operatively connected to wheels is attached to the central portion in a lateral direction of a vehicle body. For example, a steering mechanism includes a rack shaft and an elongated cylindrical rack housing which receives the rack shaft. A long bore is formed at an intermediate portion of the rack housing in the longitudinal direction. The rack shaft and the tie rods are connected via an attaching bracket respectively through the long bore (See JPH11-321694A and JP2001-151140A).
According to the construction described in JPH11-321694A, the attaching bracket is shaped in a rectangular form and is fixed to the rack shaft by means of bolts so that the longitudinal direction of the attaching bracket is in parallel to the rack shaft. The bolts penetrate through the attaching bracket vertically to the longitudinal direction of the attaching bracket. The tie rods are connected to end surfaces of the attaching bracket in the longitudinal direction via ball joints respectively.
According to the construction described in JP2001-151140A, the attaching bracket having a T-shape includes a base fixed to the rack shaft by means of bolts and a supporting stay which is extending, or protruding from the central portion of the base. The tie rods are connected to the supporting stay via ball joints respectively. The ball joints are arranged directly above head portions of the bolts.
Notwithstanding, according to the construction described in JPH11-321694A, because the bolts are arranged between the pair of ball joints in an axial direction of the rack shaft, a distance between the ball joints becomes longer and thus shortening the length of the tie rods. Consequently, steering stability and stability of the vehicle at high speed may decline.
In the meantime, according to the construction described in JP2001-151140A, because the bolts are provided between the ball joints and the rack shaft, the ball joints and the bolts may intervene in each other when shortening a distance between the ball joints and the rack shaft. In consequence, the steering apparatus per se is increased in size.
A need thus exists for a steering apparatus which is not susceptible to the drawback mentioned above.